A method for attaching a semiconductor die to a substrate includes providing a substrate that includes an attachment layer at a surface of the substrate. The attachment layer is covered by a protective flash plating layer. The protective flash plating layer has a reflow temperature less than or equal to a reflow temperature of the attachment layer. The method further includes preheating the substrate to a temperature greater than or equal to a reflow temperature of the attachment layer, attaching a semiconductor die to the attachment layer, and cooling the substrate and semiconductor die.

Dies and/or wafers including conductive features at the bonding surfaces are stacked and direct hybrid bonded at a reduced temperature. The surface mobility and diffusion rates of the materials of the conductive features are manipulated by adjusting one or more of the metallographic texture or orientation at the surface of the conductive features and the concentration of impurities within the materials.

A semiconductor device comprises a first chip including a first semiconductor substrate, a first semiconductor element on the first semiconductor substrate, a first wiring layer to be connected to the first semiconductor element, and a first pad to be connected to the first wiring layer, and a second chip including a second semiconductor substrate, a second semiconductor element on the second semiconductor substrate, a second wiring layer to be connected to the second semiconductor element, and a second pad to be connected to the second wiring layer and joined to the first pad. At least one of the first pad and the second pad includes a first metal layer to be joined to the other pad, a second metal layer having a coefficient of thermal expansion higher than that of the first metal layer, and a barrier metal layer between the first metal layer and the second metal layer.

A semiconductor device comprises a first chip including a first semiconductor substrate, a first semiconductor element on the first semiconductor substrate, a first wiring layer to be connected to the first semiconductor element, and a first pad to be connected to the first wiring layer, and a second chip including a second semiconductor substrate, a second semiconductor element on the second semiconductor substrate, a second wiring layer to be connected to the second semiconductor element, and a second pad to be connected to the second wiring layer and joined to the first pad. At least one of the first pad and the second pad includes a first metal layer to be joined to the other pad, a second metal layer having a coefficient of thermal expansion higher than that of the first metal layer, and a barrier metal layer between the first metal layer and the second metal layer.

An imaging device comprises a first chip that includes a first semiconductor substrate including a photoelectric conversion region. The first chip includes a first insulating layer including a first multilayer wiring electrically connected to the photoelectric conversion region. The first multilayer wiring includes a first vertical signal line (VSL1) to output a first pixel signal, and a first wiring. The imaging device includes a second chip including a second semiconductor substrate including a logic circuit. The second chip includes a second insulating layer including a second multilayer wiring electrically connected to the logic circuit. The second multilayer wiring includes a second wiring. The first chip and the second chip are bonded to one another, and, in a plan view, the first wiring and the second wiring overlap with at least a portion of the first vertical signal line (VSL1).

A method for forming an interconnect structure in an element is disclosed. The method can include patterning a cavity in a non-conductive material. The method can include exposing a surface of the cavity in the non-conductive material to a surface nitriding treatment. The method can include depositing a conductive material directly onto the treated surface after the exposing.

A semiconductor device includes a first adsorption layer, a first bonding layer, a second bonding layer, and a second adsorption layer stacked on a first substrate, and a conductive pattern structure penetrating through the first adsorption layer, the first bonding layer, the second bonding layer and the second adsorption layer. The first and second bonding layers are in contact with each other, and each of the first and second adsorption layers includes a low-K dielectric material.

A semiconductor device includes a first adsorption layer, a first bonding layer, a second bonding layer, and a second adsorption layer stacked on a first substrate, and a conductive pattern structure penetrating through the first adsorption layer, the first bonding layer, the second bonding layer and the second adsorption layer. The first and second bonding layers are in contact with each other, and each of the first and second adsorption layers includes a low-K dielectric material.

A method of manufacturing a bonded substrate stack includes: providing a first substrate having a first hybrid interface layer, the first hybrid interface layer including a first insulator and a first metal; and providing a second substrate having a second hybrid interface layer, the second hybrid interface layer including a second insulator and a second metal. The hybrid interface layers are surface-activated by particle bombardment which is configured to remove atoms of the first hybrid interface layer and atoms of the second hybrid interface layer to generate dangling bonds on the hybrid interface layers. The surface-activated hybrid interface layers are brought into contact, such that the dangling bonds of the first hybrid interface layer and the dangling bonds of the second hybrid interface layer bond together to form first insulator to second insulator bonds and first metal to second metal bonds.

Representative techniques and devices including process steps may be employed to mitigate the potential for delamination of bonded microelectronic substrates due to metal expansion at a bonding interface. For example, a metal pad may be disposed at a bonding surface of at least one of the microelectronic substrates, where the contact pad is positioned offset relative to a TSV in the substrate and electrically coupled to the TSV.